It's a good thing Ballmer isn't judged solely on how Microsoft does compared to Apple. The media likes to play up Microsoft's recent "string of failures" but it's overhyped. Microsoft is like a championship team that has had a few bad seasons. They had a few duds like Vista, Windows Mobile, and Kin, but people forget how much cash Windows and Office rake in. These more than pay for the few missteps. Microsoft has a winner with Windows 7, XBox and the Marketplace are doing well, and even if Windows Phone 7 is just so-so, they'll still have cash to keep experimenting.